I had us optimistically at 6-6 at the beginning of the season.

[biguglyjoe]

We are 7-5 having beaten 3 ranked teams and the offense has operated as efficiently as I've ever seen one operate here at times. We have a hell of a young QB as well. Not to mention that one game was no doubt stolen from us and we should have beaten LSU. Leach has probably incorporated the run more the second half of this season than any point in his career. I like what I'm seeing from this staff. Looking forward to the bowl game.

 

[paindonthurt]

This year was an absolute success. Especially considering we could have easily won 1 or 2 more.

Anyone who isn’t pleased isn’t smart. Barely in the average level of intelligence range.

 

[patdog]

As disappointing as Thursday night was, I agree. I had us at 6-6 with an Egg Bowl loss. If we win the bowl game, that’s 8 wins and that’s always a good year.

 

[Smoked Toag]

Agree. Looking forward to the bowl, and hopefully we can sign another good class, which will set us up well after the good 2020 and 2021 classes.

Hope we can keep Arnett for another year. Can't remember the last time we've had a DC for 3 years.

 

[woozman]

As disappointing as Thursday night was, I agree. I had us at 6-6 with an Egg Bowl loss. If we win the bowl game, that’s 8 wins and that’s always a good year.

No doubt. If we win the bowl and get to 8 - this year was a win.

 

[Chuck Yeager]

This season actually exceeded my expectations. I figured with young QB and youth in several key spots, we'd oscillate a good bit during the season. Our lows were about what I expected. Out highs tho were much better than I expected. Even in EB, we outgained OM and played about even with them. Just didn't capitalize on our opportunities and we had them. They made the big plays and we didn't.

 

[Rezpup]

I agree with this and also feel like our football program is headed in the right direction which I’m thankful for bc I haven’t been of this opinion the last six years.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

That's what I picked and was thinking less at the beginning of the season. It seems as though some folks are forgetting the way we played at the beginning of the season and the way we played against teams towards the season. We went from people think we would be 2 - 10 to folks saying we would win out even against Ole Miss to go 9-3 or 8-4. We went from people saying we would never be anybody because the defense would keep dropping eight and we would only dump it off to our backs to watch their quarterback get over 400 yards a game with multiple touchdowns and breaking records and his sophomore year.


If they can't be happy with that improvement in one season from our coaching staff then they're not gonna be happy and go ahead to Walmart for their Bama shirt.

 

[MSUDC11]

Truthfully it went pretty much like I expected, but I do lean more on the optimistic side. I thought we were a 6 to 8 win team with a ton of tossups that we would pretty much split 50/50. I don’t think the bowl game is as important as some do but it would be nice to end on a high note.

Don’t know enough about the rest of the league yet to make an informed guess on next year, but I tend to think we have a slightly higher floor and ceiling. Perhaps a 7 to 9 win team rather than a 6 to 8 win team. I have a hard time saying we go 10-2 because Bama and Georgia are likely sure losses and I have a hard time expecting us to go undefeated against everybody else. 8-4 or 9-3 is probably a more realistic goal for next season.

 

[BigDawg0074]

Consider that Harbaugh is 0-5 against OSU despite having a lot of success outside of that rivalry. If Leach can stay even or better against the rest of the conference then we can’t really be mad about it. We average a losing conference record and I think Leach could take the next step and make an even record the floor. I see no reason why he can’t beat 4 at least 4 conference opponents every year and beat 6 or more in really good years. I think he’s a better coach than at least half of what’s out there.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Concur completely, I had us at 6-6 as well. This season exceeded my expectations and set us up for success next season. The SEC was down though, it would have been a great year to have a team like we had in 2014 or 2018.

 

[oxfordrebel22]

If you’d have told me that MSU would go 7-5 with 3 ranked wins, while they were trailing La Tech 34-14, I wouldn’t have believed it, and I bet most here wouldn’t have either. Instead you got significantly better as the year went on, and at times looked like a Top 15 team. There’s no doubt that the future is bright under Leach. If you can find a decent replacement for Cross (not easy) and hang on to Arnett, I think you’re an 8-10 win team next year with a floor of 7. And a team in the SEC West that also catches Georgia that has a floor of 7 wins is a really good football team.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

This year was an absolute success. Especially considering we could have easily won 1 or 2 more.

Anyone who isn’t pleased is stubborn as hell.isn’t smart. Barely in the average level of intelligence range.

FIFY

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Where's the preseason picks?

 

[klong-dog]

We are 7-5 having beaten 3 ranked teams and the offense has operated as efficiently as I've ever seen one operate here at times. We have a hell of a young QB as well. Not to mention that one game was no doubt stolen from us and we should have beaten LSU. Leach has probably incorporated the run more the second half of this season than any point in his career. I like what I'm seeing from this staff. Looking forward to the bowl game.

You mean two games were stolen from us.

 

[biguglyjoe]

Where's the preseason picks?

https://forums.sixpackspeak.com/sho...S/page2&highlight=Preseason Mississippi State

 

[onewoof]

Didn't realize it until I saw it but this is UM's first winning season since Freeze got canned.

Big picture we've been average in the SEC, but this year was a nice surprise other than playing flat and lost this week

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

https://forums.sixpackspeak.com/sho...S/page2&highlight=Preseason Mississippi State

Looks like most of us were on target. I wonder what the picks would have been had we known we'd be 4-4 in the SEC with three wins against ranked opponents?

 

[vandaldawg]

I agree with you in principle, but if Leach goes 0-5 against OM, you will find me in a comfortable room, babbling to myself in the corner, getting fed lithium coladas.

 

[paindonthurt]

If you are that stubborn, you can’t be very smart.

 

[BigDawg0074]

Looks like the majority expected to get beat by OM and the team was able to up those expectations with their accomplishments over the season. We should maintain those higher expectations without necessarily tying it to any particular win. Tough schedule next year but I think we should still expect even or better in conference play regardless of how they get there. 8 wins or more I think.

 

[Seinfeld]

Where do y’all think Arnett’s stock is right now?

 

[Tomas Smid]

Luke never had a winning season at Ole Miss. Kiffin has never had a losing one.

 

[Ralph Cramden]

I expected 8 and 4 with a chance at 9 and 3. And we certainly should have been. Im very optimistic about next year

 

[dog99walker]

I agree with this and also feel like our football program is headed in the right direction which I’m thankful for bc I haven’t been of this opinion the last six years.

You are correct. I was leary about Coach Leach at the hire. I have come to realize that he and his staff are teachers of the game. Players bought in and now they talk the talk, and in some games they showed us how good we can be. Lost a few that hurt, but we were close to wins in every game but Bama. Only one starter in the senior class, plus we will lose Cross, but we should be good next year. Send me my season tickets next Monday.

 

[Duggar Hall Desk]

Our record is better than I expected, and I saw improvement this year over last year. I'm happy but not satisfied.

 

[bulldognation]

Here's my original pre-season prediction

Opponent	Predicted	Actual
La Tech	W	W
NC State	W	W
@ Memphis	W	L
LSU	L	L
@ Texas A&M	L	W
BYE
Alabama	L	L
@ Vanderbilt	W	W
Kentucky	W	W
@ Arkansas	L	L
@ Auburn	L	W
Tennessee State	W	W
Ole Miss	W	L

<tbody>
</tbody>

I had us at 7-5 (3-5 SEC). We ended up going 7-5 (4-4 SEC). So a bit better than I had hoped.
DS is right though... we need to win whatever bowl game we get.